WRD plans 150 farmers’ groups to boost agri in Tillari basin

Panaji: Nearly 30 years after the bilateral agreement was reached between Maharashtra and Goa for the shared Tillari water project, the WRD is hoping to revive farming by forming farmers’associations three times the current number, in a bid to motivate farmers.

The Tillari irrigation canal network in Goa is yet to be fully completed, but in many parts of North Goa, where the canals have already been laid, they are lying unused.

In certain parts, like areas of Bardez, there is a diminishing interest in farming which is affecting full utilisation of the project. Goa water resource department (WRD) officials are now preparing to form more water-user associations of farmers to revive farming such areas where the canals have already been laid.

“Under the Tillari project, we have formed 42 water-user associations. We want to take this number to around 150. The Anjunem project area is covered under 16 such societies, for instance. Until farmers are involved, the project cannot be a success,” said WRD chief engineering Shrikant Patil.

Patil said where the Tillari project network completion is concerned, work of completing small canals in areas like Pilgao, Narva and Mayem is currently in progress.

Tillari dam is situated in Dodamarg taluka of Maharashtra, on Tillari River, and its water is distributed to Goa and Maharashtra. In Goa, the project’s water is used for both drinking and irrigation purposes. It supplies water to the Assonora water treatment plant which produces 105 to 110 MLD treated water for supply mainly to Bardez taluka and parts of Bicholim, and also to Chandel water treatment plant in Pernem.

For irrigation purposes, Tillari project benefits Pernem, Bicholim and Bardez talukas of Goa and Dodamarg and Sawantwadi in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.

Presently, 80% of the Tillari project in Goa has been completed but the laying of the irrigation network is yet to be finished Former WRD minister Vinod Palyekar said that an additional Rs 400-Rs 500 crore is needed to complete the project .